Delhi’s air quality slips to 'very poor' category, no respite expected in coming days

The air quality in May this year in Delhi was the poorest of the month in the last three years, Central Pollution Control Board data said.

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New Delhi: Days after the national capital witnessed heavy rains and strong winds, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped to "very poor" category on Wednesday (June 1). As per IANS, some areas also recorded "severe" AQI in the national capital. Gufran Beigh, founder project director of SAFAR said the poor air quality has been triggered by highly gusty winds and high emissions. "As part of Westerly Disturbances, there was a convective storm in the North-West part of India, including Delhi, which has been confirmed from satellite image/s. Due to this, the highly gusty winds led to high dust emissions having origin in Delhi and surrounding Haryana areas, resulting in the `very poor` category of AQI," Beigh was quoted by the news agency. 

Beigh said the air quality is likely to remain “very poor” from Thursday adding that pre-monsoon rain that can bring relief are not expected. "This episode is likely to subside by tonight but relief is predicted to be short lived as another convective dust system is developing under persisting WD in the desert area of Rajasthan adjoining Delhi, which is going to be relatively of large scale and AQI may go back to very poor from Thursday evening for two days, unless sufficient pre-monsoon showers occur. But that seems unlikely," he added. 

Meanwhile, the air quality in May this year in Delhi was the poorest of the month in the last three years, Central Pollution Control Board said. As per experts, the poor air quality was due to the lack of rainfall in the first half of May. Delhi recorded an average AQI of 212 this year, which was 144 in 2021 and 143 in 2020.

Notably, an AQI between zero and 50 is seen as "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and if it falls between 401 and 500 it is considered "severe".

(With agency inputs)